Coakley says she has 'open mind' on immigration

Friday

Jul 18, 2014 at 1:06 AMJul 18, 2014 at 3:45 PM

By Scott O'ConnellDaily News Staff

FRAMINGHAM - Martha Coakley is willing to be open-minded about solutions to illegal immigration in Massachusetts. But the undocumented children crossing the nation's border in growing numbers "is a different issue," the gubernatorial candidate said in a sit-down Thursday with the Daily News editorial board."It's a crisis," the attorney general said, adding that she "would want to know more what the federal government has in mind" in asking states this week to take in some of the immigrant children. She said she believes the state can and should provide temporary help to the wave of kids the federal government is now seeking to place temporarily around the country. "I think Massachusetts has a pretty big heart."Beyond that short-term issue, the Democrat said as governor she'd be willing to hear out equally controversial ways to deal with the thousands of immigrants already illegally living in the state, from giving them drivers licenses - with proper training and insurance required - to reconsidering adopting the Secure Communities program in some cities."I'm going to keep an open mind about what we can try to do to be fair," she said, adding she doesn't expect a solution from Washington anytime soon. "I see the states taking different pathways."Coakley herself is attempting to follow a different path this election season from the one she took four years ago as the Democratic candidate for the late U.S. Sen. Ted Kennedy's seat, which she lost to Republican Scott Brown."Obviously I knew if I was going to be successful, unlike in 2010, we'd need time to ramp up," said Coakley.She estimates she has knocked on more than 20,000 doors since starting her campaign last September.Criticized for what some perceived to be her lackluster Senate campaign, Coakley said she'd "like to dispel the misperception that somehow I don't care, that I don't connect to people very well."On the contrary, she said, the reason she got into public service - prior to her election as attorney general in 2006 Coakley had been Middlesex District Attorney and assistant district attorney - was to stand up for those people."I do this work because I think the everyday guy needs somebody on his side, that women and girls need someone on their side to speak up for them," she said.While she stopped short of blaming political corruption solely for the string of controversies that has plagued state agencies in the past year, Coakley acknowledged Massachusetts isn't doing enough for the vulnerable populations it serves. The Department of Children & Families, for instance, has been burdened with the often incompatible tasks of keeping families together while protecting children from physical or sexual abuse at the same time, she said.She said she would focus on creating teams of professionals within the department whose sole focus would be on the welfare of children.In general, Coakley said, that as governor, she would focus on fixing some of the "root causes" that contribute to many of the social problems that put pressure on the DCF and other service agencies. Her ideas include putting more social workers in schools to more quickly discover family problems, providing more work training for people still in or who have just left the penal system, and creating more services to help substance abusers.In addition, Coakley said she'd like to put an end to sending addicts to MCI-Framingham under the state's Section 35 law - a practice many prisoner advocates say is inhumane to women who have committed no crime."I think we are very behind the ball on that," she said. "I am very concerned about civil commitments under Section 35 to Framingham."Coakley is one of three Democrats vying for the party's nomination for governor, along with state Treasurer Steve Grossman and former health care executive Don Berwick.This is one in a series of articles planned from editorial board meetings with candidates for statewide offices between now and the Sept. 9 primaries.Scott O'Connell can be reached at 508-626-4449 or soconnell@wickedlocal.com. Follow him on Twitter: @ScottOConnellMW

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